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The Circle of Life

“Lotto and Power Ball are a tax on the poor and people who can’t do math.” -Dave Ramsey

This quote got me thinking.

Circle one. Where do people who can’t do math learn to do math? Answer, state schools. Where do state schools get money? Answer, the lottery. Who plays the lottery? Answer, people who can’t do math.

Circle two. Why do people play the lottery? Answer A: they can’t do math (see circle one). Answer B: They need money. Why do they need money? Answer, they are poor. Where do poor people go to school? Answer, state schools. Where do state schools get their money? Answer, poor people.

Hmm. If I understand correctly, our school system’s funding depends on people who can’t do math and need money. Yet they promise these people the ability to learn math, and the potential for employment (money) in the future. But for their very existence, they must not teach math properly, or people will stop playing the lottery.

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One comment on “The Circle of Life”

So incredibly true. Here in TN, they’ve started running ads that focus entirely on the Lottery’s “benefit” to public schools (i.e. no greed-inducement in the ads). The latest shows a bunch of little green dollar signs flowing from the convenience store through the schools and homes of students, culminating in a young man (who looks either on dope or just low IQ) getting his diploma (which, of course, is supposed to solve all his problems).

It’s amazing as a political issue, so called “liberals” or in favor of this tax on the poor and ignorant to fund public schools. The assumption by some is that opposition to the lottery is rooted in the “evil” of gambling. I’m no gaming supporter, but my libertarian streak says people have the right to go wast their money any way they want. However, the state being the business is a despicable, yet financially shrewd move on their part. It keeps the schools funded, the poor reliant, and the few that happen to win will lose half or more to taxes. Not to mention that fact that the majority of “winners” end up broke again.

To end with another interesting Ramsey quote (paraphrased). “The richer do keep getting richer and the poor keeping getting poorer. That’s because rich people keep doing that which made them rich, and the poor continue doing what makes them poor.”